The Sopranos return March 12. THE SOPRANOS: Edie Falco, James Gandolfini. photo: Barry Wetcher MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT

Photo: Handout

The Sopranos return March 12. THE SOPRANOS: Edie Falco, James...

Image 2 of 3

-

Photo: Handout

-

Image 3 of 3

This undated publicity photo, released by HBO, shows actors Michael Imperioli, left, and James Gandolfini in a scene from the hit series "The Sopranos." The drama about a New Jersey crime family starts its sixth season March 12, following a 20-month hiatus. (AP Photo/HBO, Barry Wetcher) ** **

Photo: BARRY WETCHER

This undated publicity photo, released by HBO, shows actors Michael...

'The Sopranos' returns with the end in sight -- and that just makes everything juicier

After a full 21 months in cobwebs, "The Sopranos" returns to HBO on Sunday with a viscerally stunning reminder: It's the best series on television, end of story.

The only series competing at the same creative height as "The Sopranos" are HBO stablemates "The Wire" and "Deadwood," but what creator David Chase has set in motion this season for his mob-and-family epic makes debating this trifecta a hollow exercise. Based on the first four episodes of Season 6, what we're witnessing here is the making of a magnificent bonfire of assured creativity, as Chase burns through episodes to the end of this landmark television series.

Knowing that the series will wrap-up (12 episodes this season, eight more beginning in January) helps forgive a nearly two-year layoff that's not only unheard of but would be completely unacceptable for an inferior series. And yet, within the first few minutes -- and then with an exclamation point at the end -- the first episode jump-starts your brain into remembering how truly great "The Sopranos" really is. From the intricate structure to the nuanced characters to the detail Chase captures in their emotions, there's so much to grab onto here.

(If you haven't already been watching HBO's rerunning of Season 5, then you should hit the Web site soon and recap episodes, because events move quickly after the opening.)

When we last saw Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) running through the snow as the feds nabbed Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola), television's best drawn anti-hero was trying to put his life back together again. As Season 6 begins, Tony is off his anti-depressants and noticeably more upbeat after a tumultuous year in which he narrowly avoided a turf war, killed his cousin Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) and had to beat back -- or snuff out -- rats in his own extended mob family including, most famously, Adrianna (Drea de Matteo).

Now Tony and Carmela (Edie Falco) are enjoying each other's company after their reconciliation -- they've even discovered sushi together, which brings them closer. (Food, yet again, plays a huge part in "The Sopranos" and is played for laughs with a deft touch this season, particularly when it comes to Vito, because actor Joseph Gannascoli lost more than 150 pounds in real life).

Die-hard fans of "The Sopranos" -- which is pretty much everyone who tunes in -- would be wise to remember that Chase doles out clues and metaphors in a fashion that outright embarrasses a show like "Lost." Each year the promotional photos are dissected for clues (which are there) and much can be gleaned from songs that are played, television shows that Tony watches and the myriad dream sequences that dot each season.

If dealing in this alternate universe appeals to you, pay close attention to the first few minutes when William S. Burroughs' "Seven Souls" spoken-word piece plays ominously over scenes of what has transpired in the lives of the characters since we last saw them (and what, by extension, may ultimately befall them). "The Sopranos" is dense with the kind of things you catch on repeat viewings, whether it's the look on someone's face or seemingly tossed off lines, such as this one from Sunday's episode -- "No good deed goes unpunished," that end up having seasonlong reverberations.

While eager fans only want to look forward at this point -- and there's certainly much to anticipate -- part of the legacy of the series is that God is definitely in the details. Past conversations, dreams, hints, the tiniest bit of seemingly pointless banter -- it all adds up, a story is being told in multiple, nuanced layers.

Chase is using an obviously sure hand as he steers this unwieldy story to its conclusion. Where others search for Big Issues, Chase tends to keep things simple when he talks about the show. He'll say, for example, that a theme for a particular season is Tony and Carmela, or Tony and his kids. And it's true that the series is rooted in some unwavering basics established from the very start:

-- Tony is having troubles in both of his families.

-- Ancestry, DNA and familial traits are pressing concerns for him, and others.

-- Psychiatry is essential because Tony lives in his head.

What was true back then is even more true now -- the neat trick is wondering how it will all play out, which direction Chase will choose not only to finish the series, but to deal with Tony, the central figure in this dark, funny opera.

We're still a long way off from then, but the first four episodes -- a quarter of the season -- indicate Chase is no longer burdened with keeping the show slowly marching ahead, season-to-season. There's a finality that Chase can aim for and there's a nimbleness to how he gets out of the gate come Sunday.

But it's pointless to get into specifics. Fans don't want anything spoiled. They don't want too many hints. So on the safe side, the most you should know is that mooks will be mooks and nature really does abhor a vacuum.

Guns will go off, but they always do. Plans will be hatched, not all of them wise. And those dream sequences? The more bizarro the better. Twenty-one months and worth the wait. Clearly, this discussion will continue throughout the season. So cook up the baked ziti, pour the Chianti and keep your head on a swivel.